1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin film conductor which contains silicon and germanium as major components and is used as a material for an electronic circuit, more specifically, microelectronic devices functioning as sensors, and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an electron material for microelectronic devices having a sensor function, various metals, alloys, element semiconductors, compound semiconductors and submetallic or amorphous substances are known. Among these materials, semiconductors are known to have a large thermoelectric power (i.e., a high Seebeck coefficient) or a high gauge factor based on a piezo resistance effect but to have a low electrical conductivity as well as a large temperature coefficient (a changing rate of the electrical conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient, or the gauge factor upon change in temperature). In contrast to this, metal-based materials are known to have a high electrical conductivity, a small temperature coefficient, and a small thermoelectric power or gauge factor.
For example, p-type silicon as a semiconductor element has a large gauge factor 10.sup.2 times larger than that of a nickel-chromium alloy but has a large temperature coefficient of electrical resistance 10.sup.3 times larger than that of the alloy.
When these known conventional materials are used as a material of a sensor, e.g., a power sensor for measuring electrical power or a strain gauge sensor, this results in poor performance.